Respiratory Disease Season Ramping Up After Slow Start

CNN (12/2, McPhillips) reports, “Despite a relatively slow start to respiratory disease season, low vaccination rates threaten that trend and the rapid rise of some illnesses is already putting children at increased risk.” The CDC “predicts that this season could be similar – or even better – than the last, but the peak rate of respiratory virus hospitalizations will likely be well above what they typically were in years before the COVID-19 pandemic.” For now, COVID-19 “levels in the US are nearly the lowest they’ve been since the start of the pandemic and they’re decreasing, according to CDC data from December 2.” Meanwhile, “wastewater data suggests that flu and respiratory syncytial virus...are also circulating at low levels but emergency department visits for both viruses have started to rise.”